Nowitzki Reaches Career Milestone in Mavs’ Victory

NBA via Dallas Mavericks (SALT LAKE CITY) — Dirk Nowitzki has played his way into the top 10 of the NBA’s all-time scoring list.

Nowitzki scored 21 points as the Dallas Mavericks dunked the Utah Jazz 95-83 on Tuesday night, giving him 26,714 for his career. He passed Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson for 10th place on the list after swishing a jumper at the start of the fourth quarter.

Robertson finished his career with 26,710 points.

“It’s definitely surreal, passing the Big O and only nine guys ever in this league scored more than me,” said Nowitzki. “That’s crazy to think. From where I came from, a little dump in Wurzburg, Germany, it’s been an amazing ride. Hopefully I can have a couple more good years and see where I end up.”

Nowitzki has averaged at least 21 points per game in 13 of the last 14 seasons, which is not an easy task to accomplish.

“This is my 30th year in the NBA and one of the few times I’ve truly been in awe of an accomplishment,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. “A top-10 all-time scorer is an unbelievable accomplishment because it’s a level of excellence that’s beyond belief, and it’s being able to do it over an extended period of time with consistency.”